Group [of dissenting Catholics] hands condoms to arriving pilgrims [at world youth day].

National Post ^ | Saturday, July 20, 2002 | Odile Nelson

[patent]

A couple pictures of the event:

A modern dancer performs to music at the start of a Mass held at the Voice of the Faithful group's first international conference, "Response of the Faithful," July 20, 2002 in Boston. More than 4,000 Catholics have gathered in Boston for the conference of the Voice of the Faithful group, which now claims 19,000 Catholic laity as its members. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

 

Helen Steele of Portsmouth, New Hampshire puts ceremonial drapes over the cross as she prepares to lead celebrants into a Mass held at the Voice of the Faithful group's first international conference, "Response of the Faithful," July 20, 2002 in Boston. More than 4,000 Catholics have gathered in Boston for the conference of the Voice of the Faithful group, which now claims 19,000 Catholic laity as its members. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

 

A member of Voice of the Faithful, carries a bible while walking in a procession before Mass at the groups' national conference, in Boston, Saturday, July 20, 2002. Over 4,000 catholics from across the country are attending the meeting in Boston to discuss the sex abuse scandal that has shaken their church. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

 

The Rev. Tom Doyle addresses a crowd at the Voice of the Faithful national conference, in Boston, Saturday, July 20, 2002. Catholics from across the country are attending the meeting in Boston to discuss the sex abuse scandal that has shaken their church. Doyle spoke on, among other topics, restructuring the Catholic Church. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

 

[Aristophanes]

Just finished reading Windswept House and this looks like the beginning of the sequel!

Me too! What did you think of it? Personally, I found it uncanny, though very disappointing in its ending. Just like reality.

[american colleen]

Thank you, I think, for those horrible pictures. Just as some of us suspected, the VOTF seems to be made up of the "grey panthers." I've noticed the same in my own parish - most of the more liberal parishioners who clammer for change are older - above 50ish.

I seriously entertained attending the VOTF conference as I live about an hour from where it was held. I could not possibly go alone as something like that is, I'm sure, very difficult to attend as a tiny minority. I probably would have been thrown out because I don't think I could have been silent on a lot of the garbage that was most assuredly spewed forth by some/all of the speakers. I couldn't find a willing partner, so I stayed home. The only problem is that whatever is in print on the meeting tomorrow will probably blot out any naysayers that may have snuck in and stuck it out.

The pictures you posted almost make me glad I did not attend. I think I would have cried to see a mass like that. Although I live in liberal Massachusetts, I've not been subjected to abuse like that since I was dragged to the Paulist Center as a young teenager in the early/mid 70s - and I knew it was abuse even then.

[patent]

I wouldn't bother attending, it just helps further inflate the numbers. This group is nothing but an updated version of Call to Action. I suspect they will lose any mainstream catholics they had after Masses like that. I could be wrong, but I don't think to many people want liturgical dancers, and an organization geared to promoting such things isn't going to get far. If they had half a brain amongst them they would have offered a normal Mass and kept the dissent under wraps, while they continued to gain membership and donations.

I think we should count our blessings.

patent

[SkyPilot]

This post has two essential and different stories that I see.

1. People who are Catholic in name only handing out condoms at Peterson International Airport--many of them activists other sexual causes, and

2. The Voice of the Faithful conference

The latter is hardly the moral equivilent of the first. The latter is for reforming the corrupt leadership in the church. They are not the same.

In criticism of the Voice of the Faithful, the article said:

The critics' argument is essentially that Catholics should willingly accept guidance from the bishops who are appointed to oversee local flocks. They say that otherwise, they might as well become Protestants.

People should not be so slavish in their devotion to things Catholic that they surrender what it means to be a Christian. People are either brothers and sisters in Christ--or they are not.

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God............ROMANS 8:12-15

Many of the individuals in the current leadership of the church have committed crimes, covered up the truth, demonized whistle blowers, paid off perverts, and worse.

Father Tom Doyle (who addressed the Voice of the Faithful) knows what the damage and devastation that some in the present Catholic leadership have manifested on countless souls. He is one of the heros in this whole mess. Anyone reading this post should know that and not lump Father Doyle in with people handing out condoms at Peterson International Airport.. Apples and oranges.

[SkyPilot]

No. The article about the meeting of the Voice of the Faithful has nothing to do with World Youth Day.

Exactly.

[sneakers]

My son, Nate, is going to WYD. We went to a meeting for the pilgrims and chaperones last week and, trust me, they will be well-chaperoned. The young people who had attended a previous WYD were enthused and talked about the holiness of the event and how wonderful it was to be with so many like-minded Catholics from around the world. One young lady shared how they would start impromptu prayer groups with kids from other countries and everybody said the rosary with such joy. I envy them! How I wish I could go!
By the way, my son thought the condom thing was ridiculous. He couldn't believe these so-called Catholics were going to be handing them out. He'll be watching to see how many accept them. I can't wait to get his report after it's over! I think, personally, those "voice of the faithful (?)" folks are going to be bitterly disappointed!

[LadyDoc]

His organization anticipates handing out 10,000 condoms before World Youth Day ends next week

since they are expecting 250,000 young people to attend, that means that this group obviously expects 4% of the attendees will not follow the church's teachings.

Guess they are ignoring the fact that 240,000 young people who follow the church's teachings are the wave of the future....

[EODGUY]

I wonder how many members of this "Catholic" group handing out the condoms have even seen the inside of a Catholic Church recently?

I pray kindness and compassion for these misguided people displayed by the attendees of the conference will enlighten their hearts and minds. God works in mysterious ways!


EODGUY

[FreedominJesusChrist]

""I think abstinence is a great thing for everybody who can manage that. But it doesn't work for everyone. It's not reality,"

It's called self-control. LOL!

[Domestic Church]

"What did you think of it? Personally, I found it uncanny, though very disappointing in its ending. Just like reality."

I think the reality comparison for the ending is a good one and I wasn't disappointed as it underlined the intent of the author. I was scared. Reading the book and looking at the recent history on the grand scale seemed to highlight much of negatives I have seen on the small scale of my Parish over the past 2 years(Tabernacle moved and Priest's Chair put in place, Crucifix replaced with tapestry - signs of abomination ?!?)

It certainly raised many questions in my heart and my mind but I always came round in thought to staying focused upon the Eucharist, the Real Presence of Christ, because even if the book reflects truth (and I have heard that 85% of it is true) I know this Eucharist is the real reason I am at Church. And I know the Church has gone through times of horror before this and has come out stronger.

[Domestic Church]

"These people are dead serious. They intend -- and you don't have to take my word for it, just surf on by http://www.votf.org and take a gander at just about anything on the site -- to overthrow the Church. They've got tons of money, great mainstream media relations...and sadly -- some really weak priests backing them. "

If they really are trying to do this (and they will loot the Church just like it happened in the first reformation), schism might be the lesser of two evils. How do we stop the Gramsci nightmare ? Maybe God will do it for us if we pray hard enough. I see this nightmare coming down the pike hand in hand with eugenics.

[american colleen]

This group does have a lot of money and good media connections (because of the money and because the group is situated out of Wellesley, one of the wealthiest communities in Massachusetts), but, as patent said, VOTF does seem like an updated "Call to Action" - and that Mass that they had yesterday is sure to unsettle any mainstream/orthodox Catholic.

Todays reading at Mass put things in perspective for me.
Mt 13:24-43

Jesus proposed another parable to the crowds, saying:
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off. When the crop grew and bore fruit, the weeds appeared as well. The slaves of the householder came to him and said, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?' He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' His slaves said to him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?' He replied, 'No, if you pull up the weeds you might uproot the wheat along with them. Let them grow together until harvest; then at harvest time I will say to the harvesters, "First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

He proposed another parable to them.
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the 'birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.'"

He spoke to them another parable.
"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened."

All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He spoke to them only in parables, to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables, I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world. Then, dismissing the crowds, he went into the house.
His disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He said in reply, "He who sows good seed is the Son of Man, the field is the world, the good seed the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. Just as weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all who cause others to sin and all evildoers. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears ought to hear."

[patent]

Anyone reading this post should know that and not lump Father Doyle in with people handing out s at Peterson International Airport.. Apples and oranges.

They weren’t meant to be lumped together, I just didn’t feel like posting a separate article for the other one.

[SkyPilot]

and that Mass that they had yesterday is sure to unsettle any mainstream/orthodox Catholic.

How, exactly? I have been to folk masses that had more departures from orthodox Catholic masses than the one reported last Saturday. In any case, the importance to the Voice of the Faithful gathering was the question of what to do about corruption and apathy in the church leadership.

Those parables of Christ are so eternal, but how exactly do they translate into a condemnation of what the Voice of the Faithful gathering did? If anything, I believe they speak volumes towards the depravity and tragedy of homosexuality in the clergy, the use of church money for hush payments, and hypocrisy of the leadership.

[N. Theknow]

Dissenters at world youth day think our kids traveled all this way to have sex, and think they need thousands of condoms. They can't imagine a world where kids actually came together to pray. Its just completely unfeasible to them.

Could they just be trying to ........protect their members?